Creamiest Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

These Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes are a delicious, super creamy, low carb, and healthy side dish.  With the flavors of roasted garlic added to them, hands down they are the Best Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes you will have!

You’re going to see a pattern here for a while…and that pattern is Cauliflower!! There are so many things that you can do it, and today I’m going to share with you all about my Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes recipe. 

Let me fill you in a little bit about me and mashed potatoes. They are probably my favorite food! Growing up my mom has always made the absolute best cauliflower mashed potatoes.

It’s always been my go-to comfort food. When I’ve been sick or when I had dental work and couldn’t chew, or just simply any day of the week I would always crave her potatoes. 

Now that I haven’t been eating potatoes, it’s been something I truly do miss. But I’ve been able to come up with something that satisfies my mashed potato desire.

I’m not gonna lie to you, cauliflower mashed potatoes aren’t 100% identical to regular mashed potatoes, especially my moms, but they will curb your craving!

What Ingredients are in Low Carb Mashed Potatoes?

Cauliflower – with so many health benefits, cauliflower is all the rage nowadays. It’s so versatile and you can just do so much with it, including this low carb mashed potato recipe. 

With only 27 calories and 3 NET CARBS per cup it’s the right choice for so many of your recipe needs including this cauliflower mashed potato recipe. 

Butter – you only need a little bit. But if you want it dairy-free, use olive oil or dairy-free butter such as Earth Balance. 

Salt and Pepper to taste – I love salt, I add it to pretty much anything. So feel free to use as much or little as you want. 

Heavy cream – I don’t use a lot, only ¼ cup at the very most. Because the cauliflower gets creamy as you blend it, you really don’t need too much cream.

You can try omitting this ingredient if you want fewer calories or you want it to be dairy-free. 

Roasted Garlic – So, this ingredient is an absolute must for me! I can’t tell you how much I love garlic, especially when it’s roasted. In my opinion, this is the secret to making these the Best Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes you will have!  

Are Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Low Carb?

Yes, cauliflower mashed potatoes are low carb and keto-friendly. Containing just cauliflower and a little bit of butter and a few splashes of heavy cream, this is a perfect low carb side dish.

Not only is cauliflower super low in calories it only has 3 NET CARBS per cup. Be sure to add these Keto Mashed Potatoes to your list of must make recipes! 

Is Mashed Cauliflower Good for you?

I’ve been doing a lot of research on cauliflower and there are so many good health benefits that come from it.

Besides being loaded in several different vitamins including calcium, iron, and vitamin C, it has only 27 calories per cup. Cauliflower is a great grain and starch free alternative. 

What does Cauliflower Taste Like? Is it Good?

I’ve really turned into a cauliflower lover lately! But cauliflower is still cauliflower…

It’s a great substitute, but it’s still a vegetable. It serves a wonderful purpose but if you’re expecting it to taste identical to pizza crust, potatoes, rice, or pasta it’s not going to.

Don’t get me wrong though, it’s still a fabulous low carb ingredient that I recommend you to try. 

Because I was never a huge fan of cauliflower, mixing it with cheese, cream, garlic, or other ingredients has made me give it a real try.

You, on the other hand, might already love it by itself. It’s fresh flavor and lightness are great on their own and have really proven themselves to be a super-versatile vegetable. 

Besides this recipe for mashed potatoes, we also recently put together a recipe for Loaded Cauliflower Casserole and Keto Mac and Cheese, which, surprise, is made from cauliflower too!

Does Mashed Cauliflower Actually Taste like Potatoes?

I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised by these keto mashed potatoes. Once cauliflower is cooked the raw and sulfurous taste disappears and leaves you with a more neutral flavor.

Then once you blend it with some butter, salt, and pepper (oh and some roasted garlic) the smooth consistency will just melt in your mouth. 

You can get the consistency to be just like mashed potatoes! And the taste, it’s not identical, but it can come pretty close! My brother was even fooled by them and he swore they were potatoes!

How to Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start off by roasting your garlic. Take 1 head of garlic and cut the top off. Place the head of garlic on a piece of foil. 

Drizzle with olive oil, then wrap it into foil so no air slips out. Roast for at least 30 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when garlic is soft and it will easily come out with a butter knife. 

Next, chop your cauliflower into pieces. Don’t worry about them being really small, it’s ok because we are going to mash it up anyways. 

Transfer the cut cauliflower into your stockpot. Fill with water, and add a little salt. 

Turn on medium heat and bring to a boil. 

Once finished boiling then empty out into a colander and drain. Transfer back into the pot. 

Now add your butter, garlic, cream, salt and pepper. 

Using an immersion blender, start pureeing the cauliflower. Take a spoon or spatula and give a few good stirs during the process to make sure that you really blend it all. 

Once they are blended to the consistency of your liking, taste the mashed potatoes and see if you need to add more butter or salt and pepper. If it tastes good, you’re done!

Should I Roast or Boil the Cauliflower?

Usually, I will tell you to roast your cauliflower because I like the way it tastes and it doesn’t get too mushy.

However, in low carb mashed potatoes, it’s ok to boil it because it’s going to get mashed anyways. 

What if the Cauliflower is too Watery?

This can be a common problem with cauliflower, but can be solved very easily. 

Once the cauliflower has finished boiling, drain it using a colander.

Then put cauliflower in a cheesecloth or a thinner dish towel and simply squeeze out the excess water. Just be careful not to burn your hands. 

This is a super easy step that only takes an extra minute or two, but will make all the difference in the world.

What Cauliflower is Best for this Recipe?

I like using a head of fresh cauliflower, but it does require more of your time because of the chopping and boiling process. 

If you are in a hurry that’s ok, you can still make it rather quickly by using “riced” cauliflower, either the pre-packaged kind or making it homemade.

Since it’s already cut into tiny pieces it’s going to cook much faster and mash a little easier without giving you any extra prep work. 

Check out our guide on How to Make Cauliflower Rice for more details.

You may have seen colorful cauliflower in your grocery store or local farmers market, but I’d advise against using them. They look different and cool, especially in the fall but their colors don’t hold up too well once boiled and pureed. So I’d stick with normal white cauliflower if I were you. 

Can I Use Frozen Cauliflower?

Sure you can. While I always prefer fresh veggies over frozen, you can still use frozen cauliflower if that’s all you can find, or if it’s what you prefer. 

Most grocery stores will sell either frozen cauliflower florets or frozen cauliflower rice. Both will work just fine. 

Do I Need a Food Processor?

What works best for Keto Mashed Potatoes?? Food processor? Immersion blender? Potato masher? 

They all work actually! It just depended on the consistency you like. 

Immersion Blender – I find this to be the best and easiest way. Using an immersion blender right in the pot you cooked it in makes it a piece of cake so to speak. This way lets you puree your mashed potatoes as smooth as you want, or leave it a bit more chunky if that’s what you like. 

Potato Masher – Ready to go old school? A lot of people still use a hand potato masher. It’s the perfect tool to get a more rustic and chunky texture. 

Food Processor – Using this will give you a similar texture to the immersion blender. Not everyone has an immersion blender, but a lot of people have a food processor. 

Hand Electric Mixer – Here is another option. Again, it’s going to give you a smooth or chunky texture. This tool is pretty much a staple in everyone’s kitchen because it’s commonly used for baking. 

The bottom line is all of these tools will work for your cauliflower mashed potatoes, it’s just a matter of which ones you have.

There’s no need to go out and buy all of these, as long as you have 1 of them in your kitchen then you’re all set. 

How to Make Healthy Mashed Cauliflower?

As good as regular mashed potatoes are I wouldn’t really classify them as “healthy.” Don’t get too sad, the good news is that cauliflower mashed potatoes are actually healthy. 

Just be careful not to overload them with too much butter or cream, cause then you lose the healthiness you were looking for. Simply follow these few steps to keep your cauliflower mashed potatoes healthy. 

• use half the amount of butter than you normally would 
• use half the amount of butter than you normally would 
• replace the cream with almond milk
• lower the salt if you have a diet requiring low sodium
• don’t add any cheese, sour cream, or cream cheese

Following these little changes will make this mashed potato alternative healthier without having to sacrifice flavors or the texture.

When you say normally would are you referring to when you make mashed potatoes or when they follow the quanities of butter, cream etc, that you give in the recipe?

How to Make them Creamier?

This is simple, and it doesn’t even add any calories either! All you need to do is reserve just a little bit of the cauliflower’s cooking liquid. Then add that to the pot when ready to mash. 

It’s a way to make it creamier without adding any type of milk, cream or almond milk. It will make the dish lighter in texture without adding the heaviness of cream. 

Tips for Making the Best Mashed Cauliflower

1. Roast your garlic to add to it, and make sure you add a lot of it. I believe that you can never have too much garlic. Roasting the garlic ahead of time not only is so delicious, but it also makes it less spicy and less strong.
2. Get rid of as much liquid as you can.
3. Make sure your cauliflower is really cooked through, you want it mashable. 

Different Variations of Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

To be honest, cauliflower can be a bit bland. So adding some different things to it will only enhance your mashed cauliflower potatoes and really bring them to life.

Here are a few things that I really like to add to mine to make them even tastier:

Garlic – Ok so this one is an absolute must! I prefer to roast my garlic in the oven first, then add it to the cauliflower when it’s ready to mash. You can also saute it in a little bit of oil, or you can add it while raw to the pot while cauliflower boils. 

Butter – Adding butter will make the mashed cauliflower creamy and gives it a true buttery mashed potato taste. 

Cheese – If you’re a cheese lover like me then adding some shredded cheddar, parmesan, or even gouda is a “gouda” idea…sorry guys that’s my only “cheesy” joke….ok, now that was my last joke. 

Sour Cream or Cream Cheese – It’s not something I add to mine, but you can if you desire to. But I recommend you try it first, the butter might give you all the creaminess you need. 

Herbs – You can add fresh chives, parsley, rosemary or thyme. Try and use fresh herbs over dried ones, the flavor is so much better.  

Bacon – I don’t think I need to tell you why bacon makes everything better, so go ahead and throw some in!

What Other Diets is this Recipe Good for?

These cauliflower mashed potatoes are not only keto and low carb but they are gluten-free. 

Need them to be vegan? Simply leave out the butter and cream. Just add a little bit of the cauliflower cooking liquid and that will make your dish nice and creamy.

I have friends and family that are dairy-free, gluten-free, keto, and diabetic, and this recipe is the perfect side dish for anyone that you might be having over for dinner. 

What to Serve with these Easy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes? 

What goes well with Mashed potatoes??? Actually the real question is what doesn’t go with mashed potatoes? The correct answer is everything goes with mashed potatoes!!!! 

Oh boy, the options really are ENDLESS : 

• Turkey
• Grilled Steak
• Roasted Chicken
• Chicken Marsala
• Meatloaf

Ok, guys, I’m sorry but I’m stopping here because I’m officially starving now. But you get the point, you can serve these low carb cauliflower mashed potatoes with everything. 

Can You Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time?

Making keto mashed cauliflower ahead of time is possible for sure. 

You can make it up to 3 days in advance, and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to serve, reheat it over low heat on the stove, or by using the microwave. You can add more butter if needed. 

There’s 1 downside to making these ahead of time. Once it’s been refrigerated and reheated, it usually always becomes a bit smellier. But the taste is still just as good. 

How to Store Keto Mashed Cauliflower

Put your leftover mashed cauliflower in an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator.

It can last up to 5 days if stored properly, but honestly, it is so good, I don’t think you’re gonna have any leftovers to worry about. 

Can I Freeze Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes?

Eating this recipe on the same day is the best. I’ve had them the next day and are still good, but not quite as great as eating them fresh.

I personally haven’t tried freezing them, but I’ve read a lot from other people and it’s really not recommended. Some say the texture completely changes but it’s edible, while others say definitely don’t do it. 

More Low Carb Side Dishes

If you’re in the mood for some other Low Carb Side Dishes to go with your meal, then try our:

• Low Carb Green Bean Casserole
• Low Carb Cranberry Sauce
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/ Bacon
• Keto Stuffing
• Low Carb Butternut Squash Casserole

They all are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will be a hit at your next party, especially for a big meal!

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